I think if employers were serious about giving you as much holiday as you need it'd be better to just say "You've got X days of holiday, anything above this mus

I think if employers were serious about giving you as much holiday as you need it'd be better to just say "You've got X days of holiday, anything above this must be approved by your manager, but should be fine". That way no one is getting less, but those that want more can take it as long as it is inline with the team's business goals. The underlying subtext of free is always "there's no lower limit and we're hoping you guys average out lower than the previous minimum".